I miss him. | Us

Feb
5

Goodness gracious, do I miss this guy.  

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I'm having a nice time in California with my family...but man...life just isn't as full or as fun when I don't have Geoff by my side.  It might sound a little dramatic, but I can't help but feel a definite and real void when he's not with me.  I'm so very grateful to have him as my husband and I am so incredibly honored to be his wife....no way, no how do I deserve this life that I have.

It's so nice to have our phones and skype to stay connected while Boone and I are away. I will say, though....I can't wait to see my sweet man's face in person when he picks us up from the airport next week!  Love you, baby!

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Me + 17-month-old Boone on a plane | Us

Feb
2

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Well, we made it.  To say that I was nervous about flying across the country from North Carolina to California with my 17 month old Boone - without my husband - was an understatement.  

Flying with him by myself at the age that he is isn't altogether ideal.  However, since getting word a few weeks ago that my 92 year old grandmother's health is declining, Geoff and I decided it was best that I take advantage of this time of year when we've got a little down time as far as the business is concerned and go for a visit.  

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Before I left for my trip put out a tweet soliciting advice/tips for flying with a toddler and thought I would share some things that I found particularly useful for our 1 hour flight to Atlanta, 1.5 hour layover, and 5 hour flight on to California....goodness, it was a long haul!

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The night before I left we took a trip to the dollar section at Target to hunt for some new toys. We ended up with a slinky (which was a big hit with Boone), a coloring book and lots of stickers (we didn't get to use these on the flight out, but will definitely take advantage of them on the way back) and a totally random plastic cow that he quickly attached to.  We also picked up some travel packets of anti-bacterial wipes and hand-sanitizer, which I used what felt like every 10 minutes during our travels.  As it turns out, his favorite "toy" was my empty starbucks cup...he loved putting the stopper in and out and fitting the cup base into the sleeve...provided two 20 minute installments of fun.  

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A few other items we brought along:

- A mini-dvd player with some of his favorite dvds....I had no problem digging out "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" for this trip....whatever works!

- Before we left I had Geoff screen capture "The Elmo Slide" and put it on my laptop.  This child LOVES this dance.  Geoff also put some home videos we had taken of Boone on the computer...also a favorite.  :)  And although we didn't have the iPad with us, the app "Talking Tom Cat" would have been a hit as well.  

- A pillow.  Totally worth it.  It really helped keep him comfortable during the flight...he even fell asleep at one point leaning back against it while watching a show.

- Paci and sippy cup for drinks...especially helpful on take off and landing for those hurting ears.  

- Snacks, of course.  Lots of snacks including string cheese, goldfish, granola bars and applesauce.  A lot of people said to try lollipops, so we're going to give that a go on the way home.

Allaboard_traveltoCA__0004.jpgAll in all, it was a pretty good trip out here.  I took the advice of a friend who suggested boarding last instead of pre-boarding.  The least amount of time we needed to be confined to a small space, the better.  After we had landed in San Francisco, I thanked the three young business men sitting in front of us for never making me feel like they were irritated and frustrated even though they were probably very much so just that.  Lucky us, one of them had a 1 year old, a 2 year old and a 3 year old....and another had a one month old...so they were very understanding.  Made all the difference for me!  

Allaboard_traveltoCA__0005.jpgI think one of my favorite pieces of advice from a friend on facebook was to have a sense of adventure about the whole thing and to embrace "whatever happens, happens".  Great tip in putting myself in the right frame of mind.

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Here's a few quick articles with some more flying with small children tips...





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We fly back to NC a week from today - I would welcome any other tips that any of you with small children would like to share!  Thanks in advance.  :)



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jamie says:

i love your blog so much cheyenne. so cool. even these posts just about real life things. you're great.

 (02.02.12 @ 06:44 PM)
Kirty says:

I always remember when I'm traveling what someone said to me (probably when I was looking stressed cause my kids were acting less than ideal) "kids have to travel too". So for all those people who seemed annoyed, who cares because your child has the same right to travel as they do. Another thing that someone said to me was that most of the time people aren't annoyed if your child is crying, they are just grateful its not their own ;) Have a great trip. Sending you happy flier vibes! (hope those words are helpful and not irritating or obvious!)

 (02.02.12 @ 07:09 PM)
amy free says:

Congrats on making the trip and thanks so much for sharing your insights! That boy sure is precious!

 (02.02.12 @ 07:54 PM)
Jarian says:

Snug as a bug in a rug. He's so cute!

 (02.02.12 @ 08:40 PM)
Allison K says:

Nice to hear that things went okay and your tips & tricks are great. I'm thinking of making the CLT to SFO trip myself in a month or two.....Enjoy the remainder of your trip!

(02.02.12 @ 08:43 PM)
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Holiday Gifts + Our 2011 Card | Business | Us

Jan
3

The last time I was tested - per the book "The Five Love Languages" - I scored highest marks in the language of gifts....meaning, I feel the most loved when I receive a gift.  Now wait a second - I'm not talking about needing Geoff to buy me a lot of expensive things in order to know that he loves me.  Because really, I would know that he loves me (a lot) even if he never bought me another gift again.  However, when he thinks to get me a little something (read: a piece of chocolate...or a little bottle of my special shampoo....or yes, even a Starbucks) when he's out on an errand or out of town on a trip....I admit...my heart does feel a little extra something.  :)  

It's only natural that I would, in turn, try to express my love through gift giving.  Although, through the years, I've come to learn that Geoff - while he might appreciate a trinket that I would pick up for him while out at Target...just because - he doesn't feel the same thing that I might if the roles were reversed...that's not his love language.  And so, I've got to get my fulfillment of gift giving through my business.  

Each winter holiday season, we send out a little something to our past year and upcoming year clients....just to let them know we are thinking of them.  

This year, I got a little crafty.  For our 2012 wedding clients, we sent out cute hot chocolate kits and monogrammed mugs from Anthropologie.  I am MOST proud of my heart cut-out marshmallows!  I found the idea on pinterest, of course.  I about screamed in the aisle at the store when I found the cute little heart cookie cutter!

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And of our 2011 wedding clients, to celebrate their first married Christmas together, we thought a framed ornament with a wedding picture would be perfect.  :)  And, for our Jewish bride and groom - it could still double as a frame to display somewhere in their home.  The frames are handmade from The Carving Tree.  

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As I promised I would share, here is our 2011 holiday card.  :)

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TJ says:

Love everything you're showing here! Very creative! I especially love your Christmas card and the fact that it doesn't look traditionally Christmas. Your family and your business would definitely stand out in my memory. =)

 (01.03.12 @ 05:34 PM)
kelly summers says:

so cute!! your family/dog pictures are always adorable. hope you had a great christmas!!

 (01.03.12 @ 05:55 PM)
Kim Spears says:

What a thoughtful idea Cheyenne !! I am sure they all loved it :)

 (01.03.12 @ 06:24 PM)
Lauren says:

the marshmallows are incredible : ) Love you.

 (01.03.12 @ 07:11 PM)
Anonymous says:

We love ours!!! Thank you so much!!!

 (01.03.12 @ 07:35 PM)
Sarah says:

I love the cards! Would you mind sharing where you ordered them from?

 (01.03.12 @ 09:09 PM)
Sarah says:

I love the cards! Would you mind sharing where you ordered them from?

 (01.03.12 @ 09:09 PM)
Sarah says:

I love the cards! Would you mind sharing where you ordered them from?

 (01.03.12 @ 09:10 PM)
Cheyenne Schultz says:

thanks, everyone!

Sarah - we ordered them from White House Custom Color (WHCC) :)

 (01.03.12 @ 09:27 PM)
Stephanie Huxter says:

i LOVE this!! Love Languages is an amazing book. Thank you for sharing your creativity and beautiful gifts!!! They are just lovely and so special.

 (01.04.12 @ 09:45 AM)
Diane Rodriguez says:

I want to be your client just to so I can get these amazing treats ; ) I also don't feel so bad that we couldn't get Levi or Maximus to look for our New Years card. Thanks for sharing!!!!

 (01.04.12 @ 12:29 PM)
Melissa Tuck says:

We love our gift! And we LOVED your holiday card! Too cute for words. Thank you!

 (01.04.12 @ 05:26 PM)
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2011 Recap | Business | Us

Dec
31

Yup - it's that time of year again.  Recap the year time.  :)

I always love writing these.  It's so fun for me to look back at the past year (and even years past this one - here is 2008 Recap, 2009 Recap, 2010 Recap) to see all that we've done.  

Here we go....2011.  

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1.  Family/Marriage  It's been a really great year.  As mentioned in our Christmas card (which I have yet to blog), we've had our ups and downs in 2011....but mostly, it's been chock-full of great times. 

New House.  In February we were able to move into the neighborhood that we had dreamed about since getting married.  It is a temporary move, as the schools aren't great...but for now, we are loving the old trees, cute houses, and the fact that we are in walking distance to a Starbucks.  :)

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A Nanny for Boone.  As winter of 2010 was coming to a close....and as wedding season 2011 got closer....we were becoming more and more anxious about what we were going to do about a caretaker for Boone.  And of course, God provided.  Our dear friend Laci stepped in to nanny for our sweet boy - we couldn't have been happier or more at peace that she would be the one to be with him when we couldn't.  Boone loves her, as do we.  Always will.  

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Boone Turns One.  Goodness gracious, did the first year fly by!  It is so fun to see him constantly learning and doing new things...but it also breaks my heart that my little baby is turning into a big boy.  Here's the video that Geoff created for his first birthday.  


Us.  We'll always make it a priority to have our pictures taken.  This year, we had them taken four times!  

Our circus themed shoot with Sassyfras Studios  

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A shoot for swap with Nancy and Will Ray

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A shoot to support our friends Kristin and Aaron Byrum for their upcoming mission trip:

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And a shoot with the amazing Jenna of Red, White and Green Photography that won't be debuted for awhile longer.  

2.  Business

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Weddings.  In 2011 we shot 25 weddings.  This was our first full year trying to figure out how to be great parents and great photographers.  Man, that was hard.  

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Babies/maternity.  I also shot quite a few maternity and newborn sessions this past year.  Shooting weddings is still where my heart and love is, but it's been fun to venture a little bit into the land of baby photography.

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Studio.  I don't know that I ever officially/loudly expressed that we had signed a lease on our first studio space...so I'll do it now.  Yes!  We are in the process of moving our home office into our adorable new space.  Once it is complete, I will certainly be posting pictures.  :)

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Intern.  We selected our 2nd-ever intern - Lindsay - to hang with us for a few months this winter.  She has been invaluable.  

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Education.  In a semi last minute decision, I signed up for the Our Labor of Love/Max Wanger Feet First Workshop.  It was just what I needed.  Highly recommend.  

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Published.  We were honored to have been published in the following magazines and blogs:



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3.  Travel  In 2011 we made it to Charleston twice (both times to shoot weddings), California (to visit my family and celebrate my 30th birthday), Savannah (our annual trip), Greenville (for a quick weekend getaway) and Asheville. 

Geoff in Charleston (March 2011)

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Introducing Boone to our favorite coffee shop - Gallery Espresso - in Savannah, Georgia (May 2011)

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4.  Elevation Church  Another great year.  Geoff hit his three year mark working full time for the church in September and I have had a blast serving on the photography team.  We are so blessed to be a part.

Live Album Recording 

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3D Easter

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Spontaneous baptisms during our "Follow" series (below is a must see video done by our video department)


Code Orange Christmas

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We are so thankful to our God for the fantastic year that 2011 was.  And, we are so excited to see what is in store for our family, business and church in 2012 - we've got big things in mind.  :)  
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jamie says:

enjoyed reading this. may God continue to bless your fam! :)

 (01.01.12 @ 11:26 PM)
MacKenzie says:

What a great year you've had, personally and professionally! Thanks for sharing and inspiring this wedding creative/mother-to-be. ;) Happy New Year!

 (01.02.12 @ 09:13 AM)
Paige Jones says:

I've enjoyed looking back through your business' journey. It's encouraging for me :) You guys have come SO far in the past few years and all of your successes are so well-deserved. I've met Geoff this past year--I hope one day our paths will cross too! Keep inspiring people!

 (01.02.12 @ 09:34 AM)
Linda Schultz says:

This was beautiful!!! I love the way Geoff made Boone's first year video look very old, way to go Geoff. You guys are amazing.
Love Aunt Linda

 (01.02.12 @ 12:20 PM)
Katie Amann says:

You and Geoff should be proud! You've accomplished alot this year! Congrats and happy new year Cheyenne and Geoff!

 (01.02.12 @ 12:29 PM)
Cyn says:

WOW! When you look at your year compressed like this isn't it AMAZING. You two are such a talented team and wonderful parents. What fantastic year for your family + business. Congratulations on 2011 and onto tackle 2012 - I hope I can meet y'all one day soon! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 (01.02.12 @ 02:24 PM)
Lindsay says:

So amazing! Extremely excited to be here for just a smidge of it :)

 (01.02.12 @ 11:38 PM)
Kasey Loftin says:

Can't wait to see your shoot with Red White and Green. Jenna is awesome! I second shoot for her sometimes and I just love her. She is shooting me sometime this month and I can't wait. Happy New Year!

(01.03.12 @ 09:27 PM)
Jonathan says:

Brilliant 1st year video! There are many talented people in this world, but there are a few among them who still manage to stand out for their exceptionalism. Looking forward to seeing you two exceptional artists in June.

 (01.28.12 @ 07:58 AM)
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visit to santa | Us

Dec
27

I have to be honest.  I know this might make me a bad mom....but I was kind of hoping to get the obligatory picture of my child screaming on Santa's lap....mostly just so we can look back and laugh when he is older.  Here are two of my favorite screaming Santa pictures of friends of ours from this year:

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Boone was so well behaved (as much as an almost 16 month old can be) in line to see Santa....  

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....and he was just cute as a button when he sat on Santa's lap.  

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Goodness, I love this child.  :)
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Elizabeth says:

Hilarious! I kinda feel better knowing I'm not the only "bad mom" who secretly wanted a screaming santa picture. Boone is adorable!

(12.28.11 @ 10:08 AM)
Jackie says:

I got the screamer too...last year he did much better. I'm sure next year you'll get what you want! Hope you guys had a great holiday. Love yas! xoxo

 (12.28.11 @ 12:20 PM)
Kate White says:

What a cutie! I can totally relate to wanting a screamer pic too, but I am pretty sure you'll look back and smile even more-so... because you will be so proud of your happy, confident boy. (But of course there's ALWAYS next year!!!)

 (12.28.11 @ 01:30 PM)
Heather says:

Too funny! Mason is pretty funny, but Leah's closed eyes and arm up in the air=the funniest Santa picture I've ever seen! Boone looks so adorable in his hat, and his expression is so sweet, and as far as the crying Santa picture goes....there's always next year. ;)

 (12.30.11 @ 04:57 PM)
Carly Brantmeyer says:

Sweet Boone! He is THE most adorable child. Love love love how you included the contrast of your friends' kids screaming with Santa to Boone's well-behaved self. So adorable and presh.

 (12.30.11 @ 11:21 PM)
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